


Swelter Weather

by avisioninorange



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Bridgerton, F/M, Modern AU, Multi, Other, Polin, peneloise friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:35:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avisioninorange/pseuds/avisioninorange
Summary: Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope.  This is a Modern AU!
Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane
Comments: 115
Kudos: 408





	1. Sex Demon

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Modern AU that I have talked about. Since my other work seems to have more to say, I decided to start releasing some of this instead of waiting. I can multi-task. Lots of other characters are bound to get added in by the end but it'll start pretty basic and the only one that I know will be appearing later is Phillip.

There was something about the sweet freedom of being away from the crowded streets of London that Colin loved. While he wasn’t _quite_ ready for another adventure around the world, he did didn’t particularly care to spend the summer in his bachelor flat alone or at the family home surrounded by his perfect and over achieving siblings with their perfect marriages and lives. Instead he opted to head to the family summer home in the countryside and it was _everything_ he wanted.

He had fond memories of his childhood here. Life was far less complicated when he and his siblings had been on fairly even footing. There was nothing to worry about how they were going to spend their afternoons – hikes, swimming or even the occasional croquet battle. No one had the same leisure between careers, families or school. 

He had spent the last several weeks savoring his solitude and the quiet of Aubrey Hall. There were no schedules, no commitments and most importantly not a single person to bother her outside of the occasion phone call or text from a member of his family. If they were being especially annoying, he would turn it to silence and send them to voicemail until he would inevitable cave and respond because he did _actually_ care about what was going on in their lives.

After a late night of eating takeout and watching a movie on Netflix, he had decided to simply not set an alarm clock for the next day. No one was going to complain about him sleeping in, so he did so. By the time he decided to move from his bed, the sun was already up the sky. He wouldn’t have forced himself up then if it weren’t for the persistent growl of his stomach demanding his attention. That was nothing new though. He was always hungry.

He pushed himself up from the comfort of his bed, padding his way down to the kitchen. If his family had been there, he would have had to make some effort at making himself presentable but by having the house to himself, he could do as he pleased and that included going straight from bed to the kitchen.

He grabbed a frying pan and put on a couple of eggs before popping some bread in a toaster. He hummed absently to himself as he moved back to the pan, working on properly scrambling his eggs. He couldn’t quite remember the song but it was probably something he’d heard during his last stint in London at some social engagement or another.

“ _Colin_ ,” a voice came from behind, making him nearly jump in surprise at the sudden invasion of privacy. He spun prepared to fight off the offender with a specula despite the fact he knew the voice belonged to Eloise.

He very quickly remembered his state of undress when he caught sight of not only his younger sister but also Penelope. His eyes widened slightly and he froze, his face growing red with embarrassment. 

Penelope wasn’t any less pink. Their eyes met and then quirkly averted. While he quite enjoyed the company of his sister’s best friend this was probably not something that would be on their topics of conversation. He mentally cursed as his mind processed that over the years, he’d randomly had less than innocent dreams about the girl and a few of them started with happenstance just like this but Eloise was never part of them. Now was not the time to let his mind linger to far there. He decided to focus on the Eloise part. His sister was a safe person to focus on.

Speaking of which, Eloise seemed to be the only person capable of taking action. She covered her own eyes, making a face that made it known that the whole situation was the stuff of terrors before blindly reaching for an apron that hung unused, extending it to her brother.

“ _Christ_ ,” she muttered. “Cover yourself.”

Colin for his part did use it to cover his front not that the damage wasn’t already done. There was literally no way to escape the situation unscathed and he had no doubt his entire family would know about it by the end of the day. He really needed to go put on some actual clothing but first, well he felt like throwing an absolute hissy fit about the fact Eloise thought she could just show up unannounced.

“Did you think to maybe _call_ before just showing up?

“It’s the family home. I don’t need your permission to show up. Besides, what kind of deviant runs around in the _nude_? We need to sanitize the entire house now.”

“People who think they have the place to themselves,” he gruffed.

It was Penelope who came out of her shellshock enough to point toward the forgotten frying pan. “Uh, I think your eggs are burning,” she managed, though honestly it was any wonder the words came out in order.

“Shit,” Colin murmured starting to turn back to the stove but it was Eloise who stopped him mid-spin.

“ _No_ ,” Eloise said, reaching for the spatula and taking over the egg prep. “We’ll finish this. You go find some pants for fuck’s sake. Penelope doesn’t want to see your ass. Right, Pen?”

Penelope was noticeably quiet for a long moment but to her credit she did nod at what Eloise was suggesting. It was probably for the best if he did find clothing. Colin decided to save Penelope (and his sister) from further embarrassment. He moved past, trying to get to the door. He paused and did a little spin trying to keep some modesty not that there were any mysteries to be had at this point.

“Yes, wouldn’t want to _traumatize_ her like that,” he said toward his sister before nodding, smiling cheekily toward her counterpart. “Honestly, you can stay but Eloise is ruining the fun. Try and ditch her before I come back, yeah?”

“I resent that,” he heard Eloise complaining after he left the room.

\--

Penelope hadn’t been able to bear the thought of another summer locked away with her miserable family so when Eloise had offered the concept of a girl trip to the Aubrey Hall she’d eagerly accepted. It was only half way through the drive that the other girl had mentioned that they’d have to share the house with her brother.

The mere mention of Colin was enough to make Penelope’s heart skip a beat. She had a crush on him for more years than she could count anymore but he’d never given her any indication that he considered her more than a friend. He was quite charming though and he was always kind. When he would come home from jet setting around the world, he always made time to chat or dance with her. 

It did very little to discourage the crush.

She had thought that with time and distance it would fade but all it took was a mention or a sighting for the whole dreadful thing to come racing back. How Eloise wasn’t aware of the crush at this point was beyond her but since it was a relatively mute point he didn’t push it. She and Colin were friends but that was all they would ever be.

The last thing she’d expected upon arrival was for her eyes to be assaulted by full-frontal Colin. It wasn’t something she’d be forgetting anytime soon either.

“I’m sorry about that, Pen!” Eloise told her after a moment as she trashed the now slightly burnt eggs and decisively started over making enough to where they could all eat. It had been a long trip after all. “This stuff happens when you have brothers. At least he was alone not that it makes it any less gross.”

Penelope didn’t want to even think about that him having someone else there. She nodded though. Eloise did have a point that she could only assume was accurate. She’d never had brothers of her own but she’d heard enough complaints about the Bridgerton Boys that she felt as if the mental picture was accurate.

“It wasn’t _that_ gross,” Pen said after a long minute. “I mean, objectively Colin isn’t hard on the eyes.”

“Well he’s not _your_ brother,” Eloise said making a face that made it pretty clear that she wasn’t interested in hearing how objectively not unattractive her best friend thought her brother was. Maybe she didn’t know how far back it went and she wasn’t really aiming to ask questions about it but she was aware that Penelope had been into him at points. She was also fairly sure at points her brother had probably been into her friend as well. Nothing had come of it though and she definitely wasn’t going to try and encourage it lest it all go horribly bad.

Penelope didn’t push it for her part.

They began to work in silence creating a veritable breakfast feast for three and by the time Colin rejoined them wearing shorts a t-shirt they already had the plates made and juice poured. 

“Well you might have invaded my very intimate breakfast this morning but I suppose I can forgive you for being _angels_ who cook,” he said as she moved to take a seat at the table that was far too big for just three. He did pause long enough to ruffle Eloise’s hair to mess with her before sitting in the end spot between the two girls.

“Someone has to be angelic when you’re clearly Satan incarnate,” Eloise responded stabbing a fork into her eggs and taking a bite.

“Only some of the time,” Colin confessed, laughing as he began to pick away at his plate. He offered a light smile toward their guest. “Let’s be real, Pen is the only angel at this table. Us Bridgerton come from a long line of demons.”

Eloise made a fake gagging noise at that.

“That actually explains a lot,” Penelope said after a long moment.

That managed to grab both of their attention, waiting to hear what she might have to say about demons and Bridgerton family members.

“I honestly believe you could be an incubus,” she said after a long moment, eyes directed toward Colin.

Colin nearly choked on a sausage at that, he recovered quickly though and fell into a fit on laughter. Penelope always had been witty and the fact that she thought that he could be the incubus of the family was laughable. He wasn’t the person that most people thought him to be. Of course, he was charming and could flirt with anyone but that didn’t mean he actually got anywhere. He couldn’t very well have his older brothers judging him for that though so he let people believe what they wanted to and didn’t go out of his way to correct them. 

“You can’t just go around telling people that I’m a sex demon, Pen,” he said conspiratorially barely able to keep a straight face. “I mean, what I do in your dreams is between me and you. Not _everyone_ gets to survive with their soul intact.”

“You better not be doing _anything_ to her in her dreams or your own,” Eloise said, kicking him in the shin. “My friend is off-limits.”

Colin frowned, reaching down to rub his shin. He wanted to tell Eloise to mind her own business but before he could Penelope seemed to take it upon herself to handle that. 

“Little late for that,” Penelope said knowing that by saying so she was declaring sides in this sibling battle. Colin couldn’t be more smug about it either. Eloise looked as if she could kill them both. 

“I’ll try to behave moving forward but I do hope it was as good for you as it was good for me,” he said, though from the shit-eating grin on his face it was pretty clear that he wasn’t sorry at all. Especially when his gaze moved from Penelope back to Eloise. “Sorry El, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Of course not,” Eloise said, shaking her head.

If this was how the summer was going to go, it was going to be a long one.


	2. Hitchcock & Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU! This chapter includes movie night and an interesting game of scrabble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting an update on my other fic tonight (hopefully) but enjoy another round of modern.

Eloise thanked every star in the sky when Colin ventured out to go riding because that meant that she didn’t have to stomach another minute of him _flirting_ with her best friend. It wasn’t that she didn’t know that they were friendly with each other nor was it that she didn’t want them to be friendly. It was just that the two of them alone was a bit overwhelming.

She usually only caught moments of banter between them though and with a million family members around someone was always getting pulled in the other direction. She didn’t have anyone to help break it up if this pattern of behavior continued and with the rest of the family busy back in London, she wouldn’t be able to call for reinforcements not that she could have. What was she supposed to tell them that wouldn’t earn an eyeroll.

After an eventful day of showing Penelope the lay of the land, including the gardens, they’d decided to have a movie night. There had been some discussion on whether to go with a serious documentary or a comedy. In the end, they ended up deciding to go the classic horror route and watch Hitchcock movies.

They were half-way through Psycho, completely absorbed into the story and awaiting a suspenseful moment when Colin came into the door frame. He watched them for a moment, completely unaware of his presence before he maneuvered over plopping into the space between them, forcing both Eloise and Penelope to move a bit to make way for him. He put his arm around both of their shoulder, grinning sheepishly.

“Hitchcock night without me? I think not,” he said.

Eloise pushed his arm away from her.

“If you _have_ to stay, be quiet,” she said rolling her eyes at the fact he couldn’t go entertain himself.

Penelope offered him an apologetic smile on behalf of his sister. She didn’t force him to move his arm so he just let his hand give her shoulder a squeeze and left it there. Colin’s other hand maneuvered to grab a handful of their popcorn popping some into his mouth.

To his credit he did remain quiet through the end of the movie. It helped that the couch was small and with the three of them there, it was pretty cozy. Eloise fell asleep after a bit, veering into the arm rest. Penelope didn’t fall asleep but she did rest her head on Colin’s shoulder which he had no complaints about.

“Should we wake her up or drag her to her room?” Penelope finally asked breaking the silence once the movie was over, though she wasn’t exactly move. She was enjoying the proximity and the scent of Colin’s soap and cologne.

“She sleeps like the dead. I’m pretty sure we’re better off just leaving her be,” Colin told her quietly, careful to not speak too loudly and actually disturb the sleeping Eloise. 

“We should at least get her a blanket,” Penelope suggested quietly.

Colin reached back with his free hand and grabbed on afghan from the back of the chair and put it over his sister. 

“Does that meet your expectations?” he asked turning his focus back on the girl that was now absent from his shoulder. 

“Definitely,” she told him with a smile.

He let a hand absently reach to play with a red curl that was looping extra haphazard, looping it around his finger.

“Are you tired?” he asked after a long moment of comfortable silence between them.

“Not particularly,” she told him.

“Take the party elsewhere? I have scrabble and some gin,” he offered after a long moment. 

“You had me at scrabble,” she told him with a nod.

He forced himself up before offering her his hand so that she could climb to her feet as well. He wasn’t sure whether he kept his hand in hers longer than he should have or it was the other way around. He’d forgotten how soft and warm her hands were. 

He gave sleeping Eloise another passing glance just to make sure she was actually good and asleep before leading the way out toward another room that housed the stacks upon stacks of well-used board games.

He flicked on the light once there, moving into motion to grab pillows and set them on opposing sides of an oversized coffee table. He then went and dug through the stacks until he found the scrabble board putting it on the coffee table.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he told her, smiling when Penelope sat down. She was honestly adorable between the pajamas bottoms and tank top she’d put on for the movie night with Eloise. He hadn’t quite paid attention before but he definitely was cognizant of the fact she wasn’t wearing a bra. He wasn’t going to let himself stare though.

He was grateful for the fact she started unboxing the game and setting down the tiles which provided him time to grab the promised gin and two glasses. He set that down on the table before plopping himself down on the opposing side of the table.

“I’m not going to take it easy on you just because we’re friends,” Penelope said after a long moment, as he poured their glasses. He couldn’t help but laugh at that as he watched her shake the bag of tiles. 

“I was going to say the same thing,” he teased before taking a swig of his drink. “I will, however, let you go first. Ladies first and all.”

Penelope gazed at the letters she’d down for a couple of moments. There were a couple basic words she could play but four letters stood out to her. She reached for her glass, downing it before placing the W,A,N,K down to spell ‘Wank’.

Colin couldn’t remotely hide way hid body practically shook with laughter at the fact Penelope had played that word.

“Oh hush. You play what you draw,” she said shaking her head. “Besides, I knew you wouldn’t need a dictionary to know the definition of that one.”

“Touché,” he said shaking the bag and grabbing his own letters. He smirked as he formulates his own word in retort. He played off the K. Adding a S,U,C. “Simple but gets across the point.”

She drew her replacement letters. 

Her options were limited but she could pull off a word by adding I,N to his S. She was pretty sure SIN worked just as good as any other out there though. 

“Not my best work but it fits,” she announced.

“You wouldn’t know the meaning of that one since you’re an angel and everything,” he teased as replenished his tiles and started to debate his next word.

He added R, E,A,M to his earlier C to spell CREAM.

“An angel would think you were talking about ice cream there,” she said raising an eyebrow.

“I could be but I’m not,” he said. “Even Lucifer was an angel though. Maybe I’m not the sex demon, you are.”

“I’m pretty sure that in order to be a sex demon, you have to actually be having sex,” she countered, looking particularly interested in her times before playing off the E and adding a D,E,P to form DEEP. 

“So, you’re not seeing anyone right now?” Colin said after a minute in response to that. It somehow felt a little less creepy than telling her than any of the other thoughts that came to mind. 

He played O,O, and N against the P to spell POON.

“No,” she said in response to his question before forming DILDO off one of his O’s. Penelope decided that this was one of those now or never moments and while she didn’t come right out and say it. This was as close as she’d ever been to straight up telling how she felt. “It’s kind of hard when you’re hung up on someone.”

Their eyes met and Colin’s jaw tightened. 

“Maybe they’re into you too,” he said after a minute. 

He wasn’t quite sure how he managed to form LIPS off the L she’d played but he did. He was certainly far more interested in her lips at this moment than the game. Maybe now was a good time to test out his little theory and see what she’d do if he made a move.

“In fact, I’d-“ he started to say but it was short lived. He was half-way to leaning across the board when the door opened with he jumped back on instinct. The scrabble tiles and whatever was left of his drink went flying. 

“I woke up and no one was there,” Eloise said as she made her way in, examining the situation with suspicion. Her gaze moved from her brother to Penelope who looked remarkably guilty. “I was worried that you had gotten lost on the way to your room.”

“Of course not, I was just keeping Colin company,” Penelope said as she tried to help clean up the mess that was their former game that was clearly not getting finished. “It’s getting late though and we probably should get some sleep.”

“Colin can finish cleaning up the mess,” Eloise said, reaching for Penelope’s arm and practically dragging her up and away toward the door. Penelope turned her head to offer an apologetic gaze in his general direction as she was tugged away.

Colin was going to have to do something about all of this; especially the fact Eloise didn’t know how to read a room and get lost. For now, he boxed up the game, cleaned up the spill and went grab a cold shower before bed.

That was his only hope.


	3. Horseplay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU! Chapter 3 involves a cry for help from Eloise and a horseback riding adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go for another round.

“You _have_ to help,” Eloise said into her cell. She called Benedict early in the morning. As the sibling she considered herself closest to, she was desperate for his advice on how to stop Colin from ruining her life. That was the only outcome she could see happening if she allowed Colin to get his hands on her best friend.

She could hear her elder brother yawn into the phone. “You’re seriously calling me to complain because you _think_ that Colin might have been about to kiss Penelope,” she heard him laugh.

“There is no think. If I’d not interrupted, they would have tainted the sanctity of the game room,” Eloise bellowed into the phone.

“Are you sitting?” Benedict asked in the phone.

“Well… _yes_ ,” Eloise said from where she was sitting on her bed.

“I’m going to tell you something and it might come as a shock to you,” Benedict started. “I’m only going to tell you this because I love you.”

“What?”

“You need to mind your own business,” Benedict told her simply.

“Pen is _my business_ ,” Eloise argued into the phone.

“If that was true, you’d know that this was always going to happen. You can’t possibly just now be noticing the way they act with each other,” Benedict told her. “I mean, Daph, Anthony and I sort of have a gambling pool going about it.”

“You’re making bets over it?” Eloise asked incredulously.

“This is why we didn’t let you in on it. For the record, if it happens between now and Christmas Kate wins,” Benedict told her.

“Kate is in on this too?” 

“And Simon,” Benedict noted.

“Did anyone at least take a stance that it won’t happen?”

“Nope. We’re all in agreement that it’s going to happen.”

Eloise glared at her phone. They were all traitors. That was what this came down too. Not a single relative was loyal. They were all making bets, assuming that something was going to happen; something that she wasn’t sure that she wanted to _allow_ to happen.

“I hate every single one of you,” she muttered.

“You love us. Don’t do anything stupid. You can’t stop the inevitable.”

“You wait and see.”

“Well if you delay it until after Christmas, I win.”

That was enough for to end the call. Clearly she wasn’t going to get the commiseration or help she was looking for.

“Bye.”

“Oh don’t be a –“

Eloise clicked to end the call, throwing her phone on her dresser. That hadn’t gone the way she’d planned.

\--

Colin was remarkably quiet through most of breakfast and lunch, keeping mostly to himself. He wouldn’t have said he was avoiding anyone but he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to approach the conversation or if he should. He and Penelope had always had a bit of banter between them and maybe things had escalated but it hadn’t crossed the line into action. 

It had come as close as it ever had though. 

If Eloise hadn’t interrupted, he knew he would have done something. He would have acted on impulse and he wasn’t completely sure what he wanted. It was one thing to make moves on a stranger and another to do that to someone who he’d known since they were a child. Penelope was his sister’s best friend. If he misread the signals, he wouldn’t be the only one who suffered because of it. As much as he loved tormenting his siblings, he didn’t actually want to do anything to damage them. 

“I’m going for another ride,” he announced to them in passing, leaving them to their lounging and reading.

He needed the fresh air, needed to gather his thoughts more than anything in the world. If he was out of the house he might have a fighting shot at it.

He was half way out the door when he felt a hand reaching out grabbing his wrist as if to give him pause. He didn’t have to look back to know whose hand was on him. 

He turned back, eyes gazing on her face which in that moment was a mixture of apprehension and something unreadable.

“Can I join you?” Penelope asked him.

The smart answer was no. He ought to tell her to stick around and hang out with his sister. It wasn’t what he wanted though and he found himself nodding before he could formulate words.

“Of course,” he told her, forcing his usual grin on his features.

She released her grip on him and he led the way to the stables. It normally wasn’t this quiet between them but he wasn’t going to push it and neither was she.

“I usually ride this one,” he said pointing to his horse as he went to place a saddle on it. It was a large, healthy stallion. He was fully prepared to set her up on one of the others. They did have a few to pick from. He knew that Daphne’s horse would probably be the best fit. “I’m thinking maybe Daph’s for you.”

“I was thinking I could ride _with_ you,” Penelope said after a long moment.

Colin gave her a long look, thinking over her suggestion. He’d raised his horse since it was a foal. It was sturdy, dependable and could certainly handle the load. The saddle wouldn’t work for it though. They’d have to ride bareback.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked, removing the saddle he’d already put into place. “It won’t as comfortable without that.”

“I’m not so delicate that I can’t handle it. Besides, I want to experience your equestrian skills first hand instead of observing them,” she told him.

He didn’t have to be told a second time.

“Let me give you a leg up,” he said before he helped her climb astride before he managed to pull himself up behind her. He handed her the reins once he was secure before wrapping his own arms around her middle.

In an instant they were in motion. It was much easier to let her lead the show him give her instructions on what to do. He had full confidence in their combined ability to do this. 

“Which way?” Penelope asked, her body shifting backwards against his slightly with each stride of the horse. 

“I’ll show you my usual route,” Colin told her, trying to not to think too much about the jut of his body against hers with every movement. “Or rather he will. He knows the way.”

The stallion didn’t really require much guidance. It was normally fairly easy to zone out and enjoy the scenery. It was innocent enough at first. That certainly didn’t last for long though. It was an impossibility when he was already struggling to maintain some distance and the very nature of this required a complete lack of it.

It was difficult to be a gentleman with her pressed against him. He had to lean against her, if he wanted to keep them both astride. There was something pleasant about the closeness. The friction of her hips moving backward against his own was distracting, especially when she let out audible moans when he got bumped especially hard toward into her.

“You’ve got to stop,” he murmured close to her ear. There was a hint of warning to it not that he was really sure what he was going to do.

Penelope apparently wasn’t ignorant to what she was doing to him. He was pretty sure he felt her intentionally shift back against him, which earned a groan. She was going to be the death of him. He was certain of it.

“Stop what?” she asked. He could hear the mischief in her voice and it confirmed the suspicion. There was no hiding what she was doing to him anymore. She undoubtedly felt how hard he was. If she was trying to tease him, she was doing a hell of a job. 

“You’re playing with fire,” he growled, turning his head enough to bury her face in her neck, mouth ghosting the skin there. Her hands moved lower on her hips to at least try and control the way his hips moved forward into hers. “I thought you wanted to ride a horse not a Bridgerton.”

“The horse was an excuse to spend time with the Bridgerton,” she confessed, eyes closing and a breathy-sigh escaping her as her knuckles tightened around the reins. Thank God the horse knew what it was doing and could complete the loop of the property to get the back to the barn.

“You don’t have to have an excuse to spend time with me,” Colin told her simply, honestly. Her words were enough to shame him into behaving. She thought she needed an excuse to spend time with him when the truth of the matter was that he loved spending time with her. He pressed a light, affectionate kiss to her jaw. He felt her shiver and he knew that needed to put some distance between them before more could happen. “You never have and you never will.”

Colin’s hand moved to take the reins from her long enough to get them stopped. He slipped down before offering her a hand to assist her down. They were close enough to the barn and he could easily get the creature secured again.

“Do you mean that?” Penelope asked quietly, her legs still a bit wobbly and her mind still racing. She followed him diligently though, sticking close by.

“Yeah,” Colin said lamely trying to get his brain and body to behave. “I like being around you… even when you’re tormenting me.”

“That wasn’t my initial goal,” she confessed. There was something rather alluring about her red curls so messy and windblown combined with the innocent yet mischievous smile on her face. “I can’t say that I didn’t like it though.”

“I had a sneaking suspicion that you did,” he told her with a light smile. He wanted to kiss her then and there, see what other forms of torment she could appreciate but he kept himself in check. There was only so long they could hang out before Eloise would come looking. He wasn’t willing to tempt the fates on this.

“Maybe next time we hang out you’ll get to torment me,” she offered.

Those words alone were enough fodder to keep him happy for the rest of the day. He offered his arm, planning to guide her back to the house.

“Let’s go find El,” he suggested.


	4. Advice to Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU! Colin calls Daphne for a little advice this chapter then sets a plan into motion.

Colin paced the expanse of his room behind a closed door. After a properly cold shower, he’d gotten level-headed enough to figure out that Eloise was probably going to murder him in the very near future. He hadn’t quite come out and declared his undying love to Penelope but he was pretty sure that she’d received the message that he was _interested_.

If he was honest with himself, he knew he had been for years but he hadn’t allowed himself to act on it. It was thing to steal her for a dance at family functions or have a fleeting conversation that made her smile. There was no commitment there and very little chance of rejection since friends did those things.

She was one of the best things in his life and the last thing he wanted to do was mess it up.

She’d been responsive to him though. He knew there was no innocent slant he could put on what had transpired while horseback riding. She wasn’t the innocent girl he’d once knew. She was a woman and one who, unless he was imagining it, wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

The thought was enough to make his mouth go dry and his body respond even after a cold shower. The thought of what he would have liked to have done to her wouldn’t quite leave his mind. He needed to get his head on straight. 

He reached for his cell, fumbling through his contacts until he called his eldest sister. 

“Colin?” a voice answered. “Is everything okay?”

He could hear his nieces playing in the background.

He was genuinely happy that Daphne had managed to find someone who doted on. They’d always been extraordinarily close and knowing that she was cared for and had a great life was important to him. He often felt a bit jealous that he didn’t have the same things. In a lot of ways, he didn’t know that he was deserving of them not that he could open up and share those kind of things. 

“No,” he said after a long moment.

He heard an exasperated sigh and then the background softened. He could almost picture her moving away from her family to take the call and he was grateful for it. He needed his sister in that moment.

“I’m here to listen,” he heard Daphne tell him.

“I’m going to mess _this_ up,” he confessed after a long moment of silence. He was grateful that she was giving him the space he needed to get it out. He could talk to his brothers about most things but Daphne was far better at dealing with his emotions.

“Is this about _Penelope_?” Daphne asked after a long moment.

If he was confused before he was exceedingly so now. He knew Daphne wasn’t a mind-reader and she couldn’t possibly know about that yet. He hadn’t told her.

“Yes but how do you know it’s about Penelope,” he asked confusion clear in his voice. He was starting to wonder if they’d left behind one of those baby cam things to spy on everyone the last time they’d been around. This was almost eerie.

“Because I’m your sister and I know these things,” she said after a moment. “Plus, Kate called me earlier after Anthony he spoke with Benedict who informed him that Eloise and Penelope were with you and apparently Eloise was quite worked up over _something.”_

He would have laughed if he wasn’t already quite worked up over the whole ordeal.

“What could she possibly be mad about?” he said shaking his head. “Nothing has happened.”

Okay, maybe something happened. There was definitely a little something that was happening on the horseback ride but he hadn’t acted on it.

“But you want it too,” Daphne said after a long moment.

He could almost hear her smug grin across the phone. As much as he wanted to argue it, he didn’t have the strength at this point. What would be the point in it anyways when he needed Daphne’s advice?

“Yes,” he confessed.

“Then stop being an idiot and do it,” Daphne told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “If you keep waiting around, that’s when you’re going to mess things up.”

“But what if she doesn’t feel the same?” he asked.

“Oh you mean, like she magically forgets that she’s had the world’s biggest crush on you since the minute she realized boys weren’t gross? Yeah, that’s totally going to happen Colin. You _should_ be worried,” Daphne said shaking her head.

“Rude,” he uttered into the phone.

“Listen. Even if I wasn’t 99.9 % sure on this one I’d still tell you that you’re a catch and you deserve to be happy. You’re smart, you’re well traveled and you do have a pretty great family. What’s not to love?” Daphne told reassured.

“You forgot handsome and charming,” he corrected.

“Sure, those too,” Daphne said with a laugh. “Now go out there and ruin Eloise’s summer.”

“Mission accepted,” Colin said with a laugh. “Thanks for the pep talk, Sis.”

“Anytime,” Daphne told him before disconnecting.

\--

He made one other call before changing his clothes and going on a quest to find Eloise and Penelope. He sometimes forgot how big the place could really be, especially when he was in need of locating people. 

He had a plan. A plan that had required calling in a favor but a plan nevertheless and now he needed to put it into action. Tricking Eloise into thinking it was all her idea was going to be the tricky part. He knew that with a little ingenuity, he could get the job done.

He found them in the kitchen with a carton of ice cream and two spoons. He came very close to going for a third but he had to stay on task. He could not be distracted by food. Not even cherry amaretto could seduce him away from his intent.

“I’m going out tonight,” he said after a moment.

“On a date?” Eloise asked. She sounded suspiciously hopeful about that.

Penelope meanwhile looked a little upset at the implication and he wasn’t going to let her think that any longer than he had to. 

“No,” he said putting an end to any suggestion definitively before snatching Penelope’s spoon to get a bite for himself, savoring it before letting her have it back. Maybe the cherry amaretto did have control of him after all. “I have a friend who is going through a difficult time and I thought that I might cheer _him_ up. I was hoping that you might be willing to help me.”

“What sort of hard time?” Eloise asked suspiciously.

He should have known she wouldn’t be that easy to get on board.

“His wife died a few months ago,” he told her. It wasn’t a lie. That much was true. He also didn’t feel any need to go into the details of the tragedy either. “He doesn’t get out much because he has two small kids. I thought maybe he would appreciate some adult conversation and company. Maybe get him to stop moping.”

“That’s so sad,” Penelope said earnestly, frowning into another bite of ice cream. “Was it an accident?” Colin wasn’t sure what was more seductive the ice cream itself or watching her mouth consume it. He had to remember he was trying to sell Eloise on this sad friend thing.

“… It was _sudden_ ,” he said choosing to not give details of a story that wasn’t his own to tell. 

“ _Fine_ ,” Eloise said after a long moment. “But only because I don’t want your friend to go home more depressed than he probably already is.

Colin could barely suppress his smirk.

“Well then, dress for a night out and I’ll order us a ride,” he said simply, grabbing the carton of ice cream away from them and stealing the spoon again to take it with him as he exited. Operation Distract and Make a Move was a go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I know it's important to clarify I'm going with more of a book Marina than tv Marina thing here. The Colin/Marina thing never happened in this verse. Phillip and Colin do know each other though and he'll be making an apperance in the next chapter.


	5. A Firm Grip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU! In this chapter, they meet up with Phillip Crane who is a pro at distraction so Colin can take action.

Penelope had always been a pretty girl but when she came down the stairwell with Eloise at her side prepared for their evening out, Colin’s jaw practically came unhinged. If she was looking to give him a heart attack, she was succeeding. His pupils widened and felt stomach clench in anxiety and desire. 

It probably had to do with the fact she was in a dress that contoured to her body, left little to the imagination and was dangerously short. He wasn’t sure whether to jump her right there on against the stair railings or throw a coat on her. 

“Get a grip on _yourself_ ,” Eloise murmured, rolling her eyes at him.

He took a moment pondering whether it would be appropriate to suggest that he wanted to get a grip on Penelope instead. He opted for a different direction. A joke about masturbation might earn less ire.

“I love to but we’d be late to meet up with Phillip,” he retorted before offering his arm to Penelope. He waited for her to latch on before offering his other to his sister.

Penelope could overhear Eloise murmuring the word disgusting as she did latch on and they made their way outside to a waiting ride. There was no sense in any of them driving if they were to drink and Colin hadn’t saw fit to force anyone into the Designated Driver role. It was far easier to all pile in and let someone else do the heavy lifting of getting them to the bar they’d agreed to meet up at.

Colin had made up his mind that he was going to get the seat in the back with Penelope. There was absolutely no way he was sitting in the front with the driver. 

“I’ll let you have the front,” he offered Eloise. “You’ll have more room to spread out.”

She didn’t go for that though.

“I’d really rather sit in the back with Pen,” Eloise told him, sizing him up with her eyes.

“We could all sit in the back then,” Colin said knowing there would be no convincing his sister otherwise.

“I can sit in the front if it’s a problem,” Penelope offered after a moment, not wanting to be in the middle of a sibling fight.

Colin and Eloise both let out a “no” at the same time. They’d at least found one thing to agree about.

Penelope let out a laugh at that.

“Okay then,” she told them letting them sort out who was going to sit where. She had the whole night to hang out with Colin so she wasn’t terribly fussed about where. Eloise was the smallest of the group so it made sense if he took the middle seat.

She was surprised when somehow she ended up in the middle though. She felt a bit ridiculous squeezed into the space but as long as there wasn’t an argument about it and they reached their destination, she wasn’t going to complain.

She wasn’t completely sure the seat belt was going to even fasten. She couldn’t help but squirm when she felt Colin reaching under her try and find it, spending a little more time than necessary to try and help her get the job done.

“You really do look incredible,” he murmured quietly to her, hoping the vehicle’s music would keep the words beyond his sister’s ears. He didn’t need or want commentary.

Those five words were enough to make Penelope’s cheeks pink in the dark. She had a feeling she’d stay a particularly rosy shade if the night continued on this path.

She might have been trapped between Colin and Eloise but Colin’s proximity was the only one that felt electric. One glance at Colin and she could almost read his mind.

He was debating how many times his sister might bounce if he pushed her out of the car.

\--

The ride itself to the city wasn’t long. There was literally no person who wasn’t eager to get out of the car when they got there. Colin easily spotted tall, unassuming Phillip standing against the brick façade waiting on them.

He offered a hand shake upon approach.

“I’m glad you could find a sitter,” he said with a smile before gesturing to Penelope. “This is Penelope and …” He then gestured to Eloise, “And this is my pain in the ass little sister.”

“I’m Phillip,” he said greeting both girls though Colin completely picked up on the fact his sister didn’t have a remark. He gave her a glance and immediately questioned whether using Phillip as a distraction was a good idea. Eloise was practically melting into the sidewalk and he’d never seen her with that look on her face. Why was his sister looking at Phillip like that?

“I’m Eloise,” she said afraid, offering her arm. As Eloise started off inside with Phillip, Colin couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief. He waited for a second before looking at Penelope who looked a bit stunned and amused herself.

“Don’t ask me. I’ve never seen her act like that around a guy before,” Penelope said as she latched onto Colin, her laughter filling the warm night as they followed behind him.

“Do I let it play out or do I immediately remind her that he’s grieving?” Colin couldn’t help but ask.

“You let it play out,” Penelope told him. “Maybe if she’s distracted, I’ll be able to get a dance or two in with you without her trying to dance in-between us.”

“She never tried to dance in-between us at parties before,” Colin couldn’t help but say. He was amused to hear Penelope glad that Eloise was distracted though.

“The way people dance in front of their mothers is entirely different than the way they dance at a bar,” Penelope couldn’t help but muse.

Colin grinned wickedly at that. She did make a very valid point. He shot a glance toward his sister who had dragged Phillip toward a booth to get some drinks. Phillip was well aware of the fact he was dying to get a little one on one time with Penelope so if they just happened to not go join them for the first round it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Shall we dance then, Pen?”

\--

Eloise was the absolute last thing on Colin’s mind once he was on the dance floor with Penelope. She’d always been an exceptional dancer but there was actually a big difference between formalized dances at boring society events and this.

He loved the fact that she wasn’t shy about the way she leaned back into him, guided his arms around hers or the way they swayed to the music. The warmth of her curves against his was enough to distract him from anything.

He’d planned to have a few drinks himself but he was stone cold sober and he was grateful for it, especially when he decided to spin her around to face him so he could bring her even closer.

His gaze fell on hers and he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Penelope more alive as she shifted, filled any space that might have dared exist between them. His hand went had respectfully stayed on the small of her back, couldn’t help but find its way to her ass.

“I need to confess something,” he told her, leaning his tall body down enough so that she might have a fighting chance of hearing him.

Her eyes met his and she seemed to be debating whether to tell him to go ahead or not but her face softened and she decided to cut him off at the pass.

“I’ve _always_ wanted you,” she told him confessing the truth of the matter.

He’d planned to say something along the same lines or at least that he wanted her and that he’d probably always had and hadn’t quite realized just how much until recently but the words didn’t come out.

Instead he dipped his head down and pressed his mouth to hers, a free hand tangling in her red curls as he showed her just how much he wanted her too.

Penelope received the message loud and clear, her shorter body pushing against his until she had Colin against a hard wall in some dark corner. It was certainly far from private but the shadows were at least somewhat more private than the dance floor.

Never in his most erotic dreams had he imagined Penelope would be the aggressor in this situation and yet there they were and it was all he could do to keep it together as he tried to regain some control, spinning her around until she was the one against the wall. He was too much of a gentleman to take her there but he certainly wasn't going to miss the opportunity to make her beg for it. Then again, he was probably the one who ought to be begging for it.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured against her lips. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise you will actually see more of Phillip.


	6. Something Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU!// Pen has the situation firmly under control and Colin decides they need to discuss the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this!

It was a little wrong to sneak out and leave Eloise alone with a man that she’d just met but Penelope was willing to wager that their friendship would survive this slight. They’d had plenty of disagreements over the years and they nearly always made up. Nine times out of ten, their disagreements revolved around little secrets that Penelope wasn’t quite prepared to divulge and Eloise failing to be observant about them or Eloise being a little overly pushy with her own feelings and opinions.

This time would be different. Penelope had already made her mind up about this. She had every intention of sitting her down, having a heart to heart conversation about this Colin thing but first she had to be sure that there was a _ctually_ going to be one. She didn’t _actually_ know what was happening. She just knew that she’d always wanted something to happen and it was and she was terrified if she stopped it, she’d never be this lucky again.

That was why she dragged Colin away from the corner they’d disappeared to for longer than was appropriate to find Eloise and Phillip at the bar. She had a single-mission apologize away and then go. She’d ask for forgiveness later.

“There you two are,” Eloise asked suspiciously eyeing them curiously. 

Phillip oddly didn’t look suspicious at all though Penelope did pick up on a hint of some sort of secret smile toward Colin. It definitely didn’t go without notice and it did strike her that perhaps Colin had known _precisely_ what he was doing tonight. They weren’t the distraction for Phillip. Phillip was the distraction for Eloise. He was a reasonably good-looking, nice guy and it had worked swimmingly. Penelope had to give credit where credit was due.

“Yeah, sorry – I think something I had at lunch didn’t settle well,” she said, telling a little white lie. She might have failed by not exactly telling Colin more than they were going to be leaving as he looked confused for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, so… Colin is going to escort you home then?” Phillip said with the save.

Penelope hadn’t really had the chance to talk to him much but she already _really_ liked this guy. He clearly was getting the memo.

She was starting to wonder if she’d sucked all the oxygen from Colin’s brain when he didn’t jump in on this. She elbowed him slightly which seemed to trigger him into action.

“Of course,” he said after a moment. “I’m really sorry that we didn’t have much time to hang out but hopefully Eloise hasn’t bored you too much.”

Eloise seemed to think this meant she needed to go too. She started grabbing her bag, trying to stand.

“I hate that our night was cut short-“

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of stealing you away from Phillip,” Penelope said after a moment, leaning into Colin for full effect and trying to will herself to look pathetic. “Please stay so his night isn’t ruined. Colin can take care of me.”

Eloise was definitely suspicious. Her eyes moved back and forth between Colin who had plastered the look of pure innocence on his face and Penelope who looked the picture of death. They were definitely on to something. Phillip seemed to think it was legitimate though and she shrugged deciding to just leave it be.

“I’ll make sure she gets home safe,” Phillip assured. 

“Then it’s settled then,” Colin said with a nod, arm going around Penelope’s back to lead her up and out of the club before Eloise could change her mind. 

\--

In the grand scheme of things, the wait between the car being ordered to take them home and them arriving wasn’t that long but it felt about a million years. 

As the slipped into the back of the car, Penelope couldn’t help but laugh when Colin pulled out his wallet and handed a hundred dollar bill to the driver.

“You see nothing, you know nothing,” he told the driver who accepted the money and thus the promise of absolutely ignoring them. He had ever intention of behaving but it never hurt to have someone turn a blind eye. The vehicle started moving without further question from the driver and that was all he wanted.

Colin grinned sheepishly in the dark before reaching to turn Penelope’s face so he could claim her lips again. He’d not wanted to stop at the bar and he was grateful to have the freedom to do it again even if the car wasn’t exactly private.

He certainly wasn’t ashamed to kiss her in front of other people. His problem was that his lips were pretty eager to explore more than her mouth and he wasn’t quite sure how much longer he could behave himself. 

There was also the matter that they hadn’t actually discussed what was happening between them and he felt like they ought to. He wasn’t under any illusion that he didn’t have a reputation albeit a false one. He didn’t want Penelope to have the wrong idea about his intentions nor did he want her to feel pressure to do anything either.

She seemed to be the one calling the shots more than he was lately and he wasn’t upset about it. He couldn’t help but find the moments when she took control, made it clear precisely what she wanted appealing. He’d always known the confident, direct girl existed but more often than not she let herself be pushed to the shadows. It was silly when she was so funny, smart and beautiful!

He admittedly felt his pants tighten when he heard the click of her seat belt, felt her move from her seat to his lap and her dress rose slightly bunching against her thighs. She was wonderfully warm against him and so perfect. He his hands moved to her hips to try and grip her.

His eyes closed when her mouth moved to tease at his neck. An audible groan escaped him and he was grateful that the driver decided to turn up the music he was listening to. He wanted to move his hands from her hips to her ass or elsewhere but he kept clutching her hips to try and keep himself in check.

“Pen,” he murmured after a second, knowing that he had to gain some self-control. He had to actually have a conversation with her before he ended up having his way with her in the back of this vehicle. She deserved so much more than that.

Her eyes opened slightly and she did pull back, confusion flickering across her face. Colin couldn’t help but pick up on what appeared to be hurt playing on her features and he felt like an absolute monster for it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked before trying to slip back to her seat. He shook his head no, hand tightening harder to keep her precisely where she was in his lap.

“I want to talk,” he said resolutely.

Penelope’s face turned ghastly white. 

“I misread the whole thing and you don’t owe me any explanation for that,” she said trying to cut him off at the pass if he was going to tell her that he wasn’t looking for something long-term or that he couldn’t possibly want to be with her. It made sense to her. Colin wanting to be with her was too good to be true. “We’ve always been friends. You don’t have to… ”

He kissed her again to silence her not wanting to hear another minute of her thinking that he didn’t want her. It was ludicrous. 

“Are you going to let me talk?” he asked when he broke away.

She nodded.

“ _Good_. I was trying to tell you that I don’t want to _just_ kiss you,” he told her after a moment. “I mean, clearly I want to do more than that but – I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time and my entire family cares about you. I care about you too.”

Penelope didn’t have to question for a minute that he did.

“I care about you too,” she told him softly.

“I need you to understand that if you let me have my way with you, you’re never going to be rid of me again,” he said firmly. “I need you to know that I’m going to be all in and I need to be sure you will be as well.”

Penelope wasn’t sure that she’d heard him correctly. Was he suggesting that she might be the one who decided it was a one and done? It was the most insane thing she’d ever heard in her life. 

“You think that I’m going to shag and run?” she asked looking at him like he had grown another head. “I’ve had a crush on you since we were practically children.”

“No,” he said after a moment, jaw tightening. He didn’t think that was anything special and she was. He wasn’t as confident as he might like the world to think. He could let momentary vulnerability come through here. “I just – what if I don’t live up to your expectations?”

“What I don’t live up to yours?” she said turning it back on him. She didn’t consider herself beautiful. She could hide behind her clothes but when they came off would he be repulsed by her curves? Would he dislike her inexperience? She couldn’t imagine a scenario where he didn’t live up to her expectations but the other way around seemed far more probable.

“That won’t be happening,” he told her shaking his head.

“Then maybe we slow it down,” she said after a moment, biting her lip. “Until we’re both sure that the other isn’t going anywhere. I mean, not too slow and definitely not a secret because I’m going to talk to Eloise but a little less impulsive, a little more…thoughtful.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod, realizing the car had finally come to a stop. They were actually home. “Well I think that we have a lot of ground to cover and the house to ourselves for a little while. I do believe I’m supposed to be taking care of you so if you just happen to sleep in my bed that won’t be a problem.”

“I don’t suppose it would.”

Penelope moved off him enough to open the door and climb out, Colin following behind with a polite word of thanks for the driver. 

“One more thing,” he said moving behind her, keeping the conversation going.

She turned her head toward him watching while he maneuvered around her to unlock the door and let them in. She kicked off her heels at the entrance.

“Okay?” she said waiting for him to say it.

“If someone asks, you’re my girlfriend,” he said firmly. It wasn’t a question but a statement. Of course, she could argue it if she wanted.

“I don’t remember you asking?” she said, pausing slightly, amusement was written on her face though.

Colin wasn’t one to turn away from a challenge though or an opportunity to be overly dramatic. He paused, moved down to one knee.

“Will you allow this to be an official thing?” he asked her, gazing up at her. 

“Well since you asked nicely,” she teased.


	7. Breakfast In Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU! // Colin and Penelope's breakfast in bed plan has an interruption when Colin has to deal with a surprise in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a little slow this week. Blame work, life and energy but here is a little something.

If it weren’t for the fact it would have disturbed the warm, soft body curled into to him, Colin wouldn’t have hesitated to get up and shut the curtains to stop the sun from filling his room. He had zero interest in leaving his room or her though. 

It was the strangest thing. He’d never really craved someone’s company as much as hers. There had been people who had inspired less than gentlemanly thoughts in him. There were many times he’d considered giving into those desires but not once had he wanted more than those things with those other women.

He wanted everything with Penelope and that was why he’d forced himself to take a step back, to make sure that he was doing things the right way with her. He couldn’t possibly be happier than he was to hold her tight or listen to the little sounds she made in her sleep.

He’d always thought she was beautiful but seeing her at peace, lost in dreams only made him think her more beautiful. He dare say she was the most beautiful person in the world and she was _his_. The novelty of the thought of it hadn’t worn off nor did he think that it ever would.

He was admittedly a little nervous about how Eloise might react to the news that they were together but he knew things would be okay. Eloise would come around. She always did.

He pushed all thoughts of his sister from his mind as he buried his face into Penelope’s messy red curls, closing his eyes as if to push away the morning and extend this bliss a little longer. 

He smiled when he saw her eyes flicker open and her own tired smile form across her face. Penelope wasn’t shy about snuggling into him all the more. It was funny how intimate they could be despite the fact he hadn’t let them complete intimacy.

“Do you think Eloise would buy me still feeling ill and us needing to stay in here all day?” she murmured quietly.

“Not a chance,” he told her with a laugh. Eloise definitely wouldn’t just leave them be unless she was explicitly told to.

Neither of them were any particular hurry to get up. Colin knew his stomach would eventually betray him and demand breakfast would strike but for now, he just wanted to savor the moment.

In fact, he was pretty sure he could smell bacon permeating from the kitchen. Normally that would have sent him wandering down to try and get first dibs but times were changing. His desire to keep cuddling Penelope trumped any food craving.

“I can’t believe she’s already up,” Penelope murmured, apparently smelling the bacon too. She sighed at the thought they were probably going to have to get up and show their face downstairs. “She’s not even a morning person.”

“I could always go down and make a big plate,” Colin said after a moment. “Breakfast in bed?... All day in bed with me.”

“I’d be crazy to say no to that,” she murmured leaning to steal a kiss before he could get up, which honestly made him not want to get up. He pushed himself up and out from under the comforter with a sigh.

Eloise was going to have to deal with him coming down in pajama bottoms and no shirt. This was as dressed as he was going to get.

“You just stay right there,” he said with a grin. “I’ll deal with Eloise.”

\--

Colin fully intended to grab a plate of food and tell Eloise to find something else to do today. He had the whole thing prepared in his head, carefully crafted to deal and then escape back to his blissful little bubble.

His mind went blank when he made it down the kitchen and didn’t just fine his sister. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Phillip helping her make breakfast. 

He watched for a long moment, trying to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating things. Phillip was a little bit too comfortable for his liking and the protective older brother in him debated whether he ought to punch his friend or start asking questions.

He cleared his throat loudly, an act he hoped to split up whatever was happening. Eloise didn’t even have the modesty to look embarrassed by this whole thing though.

“How’s Pen?” she asked a little too casually. “Still feeling under the weather?”

The mention of Penelope did bring his mission back to mind. He was supposed to be grabbing plates and heading back up stairs. His mind was flailing trying to figure out what exactly he was supposed to be doing at this point.

“- I was coming to get her a plate,” Colin said, eyeing Eloise and Phillip suspiciously. “Clearly it was too late last night and you offered Phillip one of the other guest rooms.”

“Not exactly,” Eloise said sheepishly.

Colin knew that look. He’d seen it on their older brothers plenty of times after they’d brought random girls back in the past. He clenched his fist. He was going to murder Phillip Crane.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked despite the fact he had zero business doing it.

“Well, you could say that he was _ill_ and I took care of him,” Eloise said crossing her arms. She definitely knew that Penelope hadn’t been ill and she definitely knew Penelope was in his bed at the moment. 

“I didn’t - we _literally_ slept,” Colin said defensive over his own actions. 

“I really should get going,” Phillip said clearly not wanting to get in the middle of family drama. “It seems like you two have things to talk about.”

Both Bridgerton heads turned and said ‘no’ in unison. This really did have to stop becoming a thing. They didn’t wait to see that he was staying though as they were busy squaring off.

“You invited him to distract me so you could _fuck_ my best friend,” Eloise said in an accusatory voice.

“I’m still here,” Phillip felt a need to interject.

“Oh dear,” a fourth voice said from the doorway. Penelope had apparently heard the voices and decided to come mediate. She raised an eyebrow at the presence of Phillip. That was a turn.

She moved closer to Phillip and shook her head, giving a consolatory smile. “There is really no getting in the middle of these things. You just have to let them fight it out. You’ll learn.”

“I didn’t _fuck_ her,” Colin argued. “We are together though, no thanks to you and your constant need to get in the middle.”

“You’re a liar and a hypocrite,” Eloise said right back.

“I’m neither. But you have no business sleeping with people that you don’t even know, especially not when you’re –“

“I wasn’t,” Eloise said shaking her head. “I’m not a child. I have just as much right as you do to invite whoever I want here. I _like_ Phillip.”

“He’s literally years older than you and he has kids,” Colin argued.

Phillip wasn’t sure whether he should be offended or not but Penelope gave him a sympathetic glance, reached to grab a filled plate handing him one so they could at least eat breakfast while watching and making sure blood wasn’t drawn in this fight.

“You’re a few years older than Penelope,” Eloise argued.

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?”

“Because I _love_ her,” he said talking with his hands. “I’ve literally been in denial for years and you’re really going to falsely equate hooking up with some guy you’ve known all of two seconds to me wanting to be with Penelope.”

“ _You what_?” Penelope interjected, nearly choking on her bacon. Phillip had to give her a pat on the back to stop the coughing.

“I thought you said we weren’t to interject,” Phillip murmured.

“Well when people say they love you get to interject,” Penelope murmured.

Eloise shook her head, narrowed her eyes. “I don’t need to travel the world to figure out what I want,” she said pointedly. “Don’t try to get in the middle of it with this big brother nonsense and I’ll get out of your way.”

“Really?” Colin asked after a long moment, slightly unsure whether he’d won this argument or not, especially since Eloise was going to let him be with Penelope without trying to stop it, if he got out of her way.

“I mean, she’s still my best friend and I will hurt you if you hurt her but she’s also an adult and clearly she is a willing victim.”

“I wouldn’t really go with victim,” Colin said after a moment, remembering there was food now that things were at least semi-decided. His gaze finally moved over to where Penelope and Phillip had been standing, eating and watching. He offered a small smile. “Girlfriend is the term we’re going with these days. Speaking of which, we’re going back upstairs.”

Eloise made a face at that.

“At least me and Phillip will be able to keep our breakfast down,” she said to their retreating backs as they disappeared just as easily as they’d interrupted her morning.


End file.
